I do bits and pieces but rarely 'from scratch' stuff - usually limited to putting up shelves, building furniture etc. I would very much like to learn some proper skills such as plastering.

One request to the OP - could this be a gardening thread, too, or is that a bit of a stretch?

In addition to Dual's list, my best tool purchase was a cheap electric screwdriver and a set of heads, including hex/torx adapters. I use it all the sodding time. Can't imagine having to put furniture up without it now.

My best achievement was probably putting up these shoe shelves for the other half. I scored massive boyfriend points that day.

I have also floored a couple of lofts, which is no fun:

Created a vegetable plot in the garden (this pic taken before the lawn was turfed):

FWIW, Id count gardening as DIY, if only to help keep this thread alive.

My best DIY achievement so far is building a built in wardrobe for our walk in. Its not complete, I want to put more shelving up top and put in some drawers against the back wall but we have rails to hang stuff on and the top serves as a shelf so it does the job. the house is still a work in progress but most of the inside is done, a few finishing touches remain but its all painted and liveable at least.

Im gonna have to get my hands dirty outdoors though, we have a big garden but its not "done" yet, its still rough ground so Im hoping to get that into a state where you can call it a lawn and use a mower on it, then Ill look to add some fencing and put some trees or shrubs and stuff on it. Well also have to get the drive tarmaced and see about putting some walls out the front of the house so were not just totally open to the road, but theyre both probably beyond my DIY skills. I should be able to put up some fencing to add the finishing touches to the lot though.

Poser wrote:In addition to Dual's list, my best tool purchase was a cheap electric screwdriver and a set of heads, including hex/torx adapters. I use it all the sodding time. Can't imagine having to put furniture up without it now.

Mine is clutch propelled. Although I do know what hand-propelled feels like as it stopped working, just got it fixed though for the start of the season. Petrol mowers are so much strawberry floating better than electric mowers.

Makes my job easier as there's less to carry around, just one handle and you change to whatever you need. Also you're less likely to leave screwdrivers up in ceilings etc.

And if you're driling concrete, or have gone through brick in to concrete and you're stuck make sure you're using the correct kind of bit

And as has been mentioned, the SDS drills are really nice and make light work of brick and concrete. Use the hammer mode only when you need that extra bit of power, it can make it slightly less accurate where the hole goes, or makes the hole too wide which is why I don't recommend hammer time all of the time. If the hole does end up too big you can use a different sizes rawlplug or a rawlplug inside a rawlplug to pad it out.

Plasterboard fixings are quite good if you're hanging from ceilings or walls with a lightish load...

You simply use a screwdriver to screw it in to your plasterboard and then the same again to screw your screw in to the fixing. Quick, easy and accurate. Also no need for a drill.

Oh wow. Wtf is an impact driver? And the combi driver means is a drill and a driver yeah?

It's the smaller of the two tools in the link, you can actually drill with one, but it's ostensibly used for screwing. You can also screw with a combi drill, but they won't hammer the screw in the same way a driver does.

Oh wow. Wtf is an impact driver? And the combi driver means is a drill and a driver yeah?

It's the smaller of the two tools in the link, you can actually drill with one, but it's ostensibly used for screwing. You can also screw with a combi drill, but they won't hammer the screw in the same way a driver does.

Hammer a screw? Excuse my ignorance. Does it literally hammer the screw in? Much better than screwing right?

Oh wow. Wtf is an impact driver? And the combi driver means is a drill and a driver yeah?

It's the smaller of the two tools in the link, you can actually drill with one, but it's ostensibly used for screwing. You can also screw with a combi drill, but they won't hammer the screw in the same way a driver does.

Hammer a screw? Excuse my ignorance. Does it literally hammer the screw in? Much better than screwing right?

Yup, an impact driver rotates the screw and pushes it in at the same time using a hammering action. They are designed to do this, I wouldn't use the hammer ability of a combi drill when you're screwing (so many innuendos.....)